We’ve come to expect a few things from Pixar since Toy Story, like immense detail and unchallenged superiority in digital imaging, and a simple story about family, love and pride. Typically characters learn from one another and create harmony only after turmoil has torn the natural balance apart. It’s classic Hollywood structure, but with computer animation and talking animals and things.

In this installment of the Pixar legacy, a Scottish princess, Merida, defies her mother and tradition to defend her freedom jeopardized by a forced betrothal.

The eldest son of each clan competes for her hand, lady’s choice. The lady emphatically picks archery, and after guffawing with her behemoth father at the suitors’ attempts at impressing her, sneaks out to the field to show them how it’s done.

She proclaims she’s competing for her own hand, then looses three arrows into the targets, bull’s eyes every time. She is no ordinary Disney princess. Merida has an iron will and wants to fight. Becoming a proper lady, as her mother insists, is simply not on the fiery redhead’s agenda.

It’s a really nice movie if you can stand all the bagpipe music; it’s at least a step in the right dimension after Cars 2. And as always, the Pixar short that plays before the movie is worth the price of admission.